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Dufty and Aitken set to leave

merahputih

Juniors
Messages
922
I think Dufty and Aitken will improve significantly under a better coach. They will come back and bite us but hey the Saints care more about Mary than the players and supporters so what do you expect.
I'm sure if you could hire a top computer hacker and get him/her to dig into the clubs records and find the board's mission statement it would contain something like the following goal:

.Ensure the survival of coach Paul McGregor at all costs, regardless of uninformed comments or opinions from outside sources, meaningless performance criteria or gossip on club forums. If necessary utilize outside sources such as sympathetic journalists and commentators to bolster Paul's image. A generous entertainment allowance is available for the purchase of liquor if needed. As a last resort a prominent NRL figure known to have a positive view of our coach should be appointed to conduct an 'independent' review of the teams performance. If support staff need to be let go in the interests of the coach's survival any family of a board member shall be exempt from this process.
 

Slackboy72

Coach
Messages
12,113
The main difference is that Keary is in his correct position- Dufty isn't. He has to accept that he's not a full back and return to his junior position in the halves.

Reminds me of this:

From SMH

Wayne Bennett makes an unexpected appearance in Richie McCaw's book The Open Side.

The scene is 2008, at a leadership conference organised by the New Zealand Rugby Union of the type so beloved by sports organisations and corporate entities. All was proceeding without incident until Bennett turned it into a brutal post-mortem into the All Blacks' 2007 Rugby World Cup failure.

"Bennett walks on to the podium, looks straight at Ted [Graham Henry], Shag [Steve Hansen] and Smithy [Wayne Smith] and says,

'I don't know why the f--- you're sitting there and still got your jobs'," McCaw recounts in the book.


And the Broncos legend was just warming up.

" 'Why were you playing guys out of position?' he asks the coaches.

While they were pondering that one, Bennett walks over to Mils [All Blacks fullback Mils Muliaina], who's kind of scrunched down in his seat.

'Did you want to play 13?'
" 'Ah...'
" 'Where did you want to f-----n play, son?
" 'Ah fullback,' says Mils, almost apologetically.
" 'Well, what the f--- were you doing playing centre?' "

On 9 October 2011 during the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Muliaina played his 100th game for the All Blacks after starting at fullback against Argentina. He was only the second All Black to reach 100 caps. He scored 33 tries for New Zealand and remains among the top 30 highest try scorers in rugby union test history.
 

BLM01

First Grade
Messages
9,912
The issue, as I see it, was with the reduction in the interchange to 8 (and some suggesting further to 6), where these type of nippy players would have greater impact against tired forwards. However, the game has evolved into forwards with greater stamina and running ability (Haas and young Fifita from Broncos as an example). Unfortunately, at the Dragons, we aporoached the idea of agile forwards as one out hit ups and plodders, effectively wiping out any need for our speedy players.

DS..the interchange should be back to 4 but not like the old days where you come off you stay off and time offs and shot clocks, ruck wrestling abolished to speed up the game. The game evolved to suit bigger framed players who develop size young (no genre mentioned) who can play 20-25 minute spurt power football and have strength to wrestle in the ruck...and that is what we have today.

I watch the womens game as have family and club interest but I am actually shocked to see the difference from last year to this year with the slow down and wrestle in the ruck, the girls now follow the mens lead and it is actually worse as they are given far too much time. And there is a trend to who play the womens game at the high level

The sooner they rid the wrestle and slow down of the ruck, time wasting and reduce interchange to 4 the better the game will be. All you need to do is make it 5 metre rule
again. Then we will be able to start to develop young smaller kids boys and girls at junior levels and keep and fit them into the game
 

Forbes Creek Dragons

First Grade
Messages
5,078
DS..the interchange should be back to 4 but not like the old days where you come off you stay off and time offs and shot clocks, ruck wrestling abolished to speed up the game. The game evolved to suit bigger framed players who develop size young (no genre mentioned) who can play 20-25 minute spurt power football and have strength to wrestle in the ruck...and that is what we have today.

I watch the womens game as have family and club interest but I am actually shocked to see the difference from last year to this year with the slow down and wrestle in the ruck, the girls now follow the mens lead and it is actually worse as they are given far too much time. And there is a trend to who play the womens game at the high level

The sooner they rid the wrestle and slow down of the ruck, time wasting and reduce interchange to 4 the better the game will be. All you need to do is make it 5 metre rule
again. Then we will be able to start to develop young smaller kids boys and girls at junior levels and keep and fit them into the game
The game needs to do everything it can to ensure players like Dufty, Field and Sailor are not lost to it. There are few things better in a game of League or Union than a nippy player tearing a team to shreds late in the game.
 

Dragons 09

Juniors
Messages
1,762
The game needs to do everything it can to ensure players like Dufty, Field and Sailor are not lost to it. There are few things better in a game of League or Union than a nippy player tearing a team to shreds late in the game.

Part of me agrees with this and part of me thinks "you don't always get what you want".

There's plenty of slightly built guys who love rugby league and it would be great if all of them had the opportunity to reach the highest level, but i don't see why it is the games responsibility to make this happen, sometimes you're just not cut out for something........sometimes you just don't get what you want.

I would love to be a Formula 1 driver or a Moto GP rider, but only talent can let me live that dream, not the FIA changing the rules so as also ran's get to play on the big stage with the likes of Hamilton and Rossi et al.

We've had the likes of Slippery Morris, Boustead, Barba, Langer, Slater, Fien, Toovey and even today players like Keary, Reynolds and Papenhuyzen are all of similar size to our midget trio, but the current game is not an obstacle for them. At the end of the day you have to be tough enough to play the game, the game shouldn't be watered down to appease the little man with a little heart. (Disclaimer: I still am hopeful that Sailor can take that next step, the other 2, not so convinced)
 

BLM01

First Grade
Messages
9,912
Part of me agrees with this and part of me thinks "you don't always get what you want".

There's plenty of slightly built guys who love rugby league and it would be great if all of them had the opportunity to reach the highest level, but i don't see why it is the games responsibility to make this happen, sometimes you're just not cut out for something........sometimes you just don't get what you want.

I would love to be a Formula 1 driver or a Moto GP rider, but only talent can let me live that dream, not the FIA changing the rules so as also ran's get to play on the big stage with the likes of Hamilton and Rossi et al.

We've had the likes of Slippery Morris, Boustead, Barba, Langer, Slater, Fien, Toovey and even today players like Keary, Reynolds and Papenhuyzen are all of similar size to our midget trio, but the current game is not an obstacle for them. At the end of the day you have to be tough enough to play the game, the game shouldn't be watered down to appease the little man with a little heart. (Disclaimer: I still am hopeful that Sailor can take that next step, the other 2, not so convinced)

Not a good comparison LOL..racing car driver, least it is open to anyone, size, race or creed who can reach that level.
And it is not about the top level. It is about the numbers of kids dwindling playing the sport becuase of still the weight for age + size debate and the crowd mentality at Junior games
Most kids are getting pushed by force, parents or choice into AFL, Oztag or touch
Look how the NRL is struggling to find 32 decent halves, 16 fullbacks and even less in reggies
Yes we have Keary's, Paps etc but have'nt the numbers dwindled over the past 10 years where any part decent half (like Hunt) gets 1 mill +...who arguably his best position is not half.
Back in the toovey. Slippery, Boustead days we had more and a widespread of size differences between the backs and forwards
Now they are just about the same weight..most of em to play the game the way it is become cause of unlimited interchange and ridding of reserve grade as a pathway for a while by having the Under 20's as undercards
 
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Old Timer

Coach
Messages
17,793
Not a good comparison LOL..racing car driver, least it is open to anyone, size, race or creed who can reach that level.
And it is not about the top level. It is about the numbers of kids dwindling playing the sport becuase of still the weight for age + size debate and the crowd mentality at Junior games
Most kids are getting pushed by force, parents or choice into AFL, Oztag or touch
Look how the NRL is struggling to find 32 decent halves, 16 fullbacks and even less in reggies
Yes we have Keary's, Paps etc but have'nt the numbers dwindled over the past 10 years where any part decent half (like Hunt) gets 1 mill +...who arguably his best position is not half.
Back in the toovey. Slippery, Boustead days we had more and a widespread of size differences between the backs and forwards
Now they are just about the same weight..most of em to play the game the way it is become cause of unlimited interchange and ridding of reserve grade as a pathway for a while by having the Under 20's as undercards
Good post.
The halves have been getting bigger and bigger and the very good little one's suffer from the physicality and head knocks and I doubt Keary will see out a 300 game career under the present rules and style of play in the game.
Absolutely no incentive for little nippy players to get a career in NRL so best go to another code as a junior.
 

Frank Facer

First Grade
Messages
5,069
Not a good comparison LOL..racing car driver, least it is open to anyone, size, race or creed who can reach that level.
And it is not about the top level. It is about the numbers of kids dwindling playing the sport becuase of still the weight for age + size debate and the crowd mentality at Junior games
Most kids are getting pushed by force, parents or choice into AFL, Oztag or touch
Look how the NRL is struggling to find 32 decent halves, 16 fullbacks and even less in reggies
Yes we have Keary's, Paps etc but have'nt the numbers dwindled over the past 10 years where any part decent half (like Hunt) gets 1 mill +...who arguably his best position is not half.
Back in the toovey. Slippery, Boustead days we had more and a widespread of size differences between the backs and forwards
Now they are just about the same weight..most of em to play the game the way it is become cause of unlimited interchange and ridding of reserve grade as a pathway for a while by having the Under 20's as undercards
I want to be a rally car driver or race car driver too.
 

blacksafake

First Grade
Messages
9,589
Not a good comparison LOL..racing car driver, least it is open to anyone, size, race or creed who can reach that level.
And it is not about the top level. It is about the numbers of kids dwindling playing the sport becuase of still the weight for age + size debate and the crowd mentality at Junior games
Most kids are getting pushed by force, parents or choice into AFL, Oztag or touch
Look how the NRL is struggling to find 32 decent halves, 16 fullbacks and even less in reggies
Yes we have Keary's, Paps etc but have'nt the numbers dwindled over the past 10 years where any part decent half (like Hunt) gets 1 mill +...who arguably his best position is not half.
Back in the toovey. Slippery, Boustead days we had more and a widespread of size differences between the backs and forwards
Now they are just about the same weight..most of em to play the game the way it is become cause of unlimited interchange and ridding of reserve grade as a pathway for a while by having the Under 20's as undercards
You’re right,
In the Slippery, Boustead days they were called footballers nowadays they’re called athletes.
 
Messages
2,866
You’re right,
In the Slippery, Boustead days they were called footballers nowadays they’re called athletes.
Phil Blake, Steve Linnane, Mark Schulman, Glen Burgess, Matt Bowen, Steve Mortimer, Peter Stirling, Russell Fairfax. There were stacks of them and they all made for a better spectacle.
When you look at the Neanderthals like Melbourne's ANS tipping the scale at 125kg, there is not doubt the game has changed for the worst.
 

boardlumps62

Juniors
Messages
1,481
Phil Blake, Steve Linnane, Mark Schulman, Glen Burgess, Matt Bowen, Steve Mortimer, Peter Stirling, Russell Fairfax. There were stacks of them and they all made for a better spectacle.
When you look at the Neanderthals like Melbourne's ANS tipping the scale at 125kg, there is not doubt the game has changed for the worst.
They might be Neanderthals but I think giants would best describe their size or f**king huge a couple of them. Obviously they can be beaten just need the guys to do it.
 

possm

Coach
Messages
15,902
The NrL fund 100& of the salary cap. At other clubs they build to shelf fitness centres, emply top shelf coaching and fitness staff and of course have a great TPA connection.

So we have the same dollars each year as every other club to fund the salary cap.

Our club does not employ good coaches, recruitment staff or fitness staff.

Management have allowed the great St George club culture to disappear and not worry about this in the least.

I say it is a MESS and so we need a cleanout.
 

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